From the recording Ghost Horse
One of the highlights for my new Storytellin' album is this song. I have written it as Charley is briefly singing to his audience, the story of an Indian pony he bought. It's an emotional song for me to sing since I knew Charley loved his old friend. He and Monty lived together for 25 years. This story is my interpretation of the original narrative of The Ghost Horse by Charles Marion Russell.
This simple song is also in honor of all those old friends we knew who are now gone.
I used a Casio CTK for the keyboards and drum track. I used a Fender P-Bass and added four vocal tracks. Sing with Charley...La La La La La la la La La...
Lyrics
Ghost Horse
Words & Music by Calvin Luna Balli
Copyright 2013 Calvin Balli Music
He runs through the Hills with the wind in his mane
My Pinto, my old friend
Thru SageBrush and Chokeberries anything will ensnarl you
Were gonna make it there
He began his life on the open range
This buffalo horse would make his stand
His short back and deep chest many rides without a rest
He understands
Wild Wild Flowers on the grazing plain
Can't you smell the fragrance of approaching rains
He wears colors of a Piegan man
He pulls a travois the best he can
He was won by a party on the Belly River
War Wound would live some fifty winters
He shot poor pinto and left him for dead
He arose from the valley defiant instead
He lived with the Indian for many a season
He became my friend he became my reason
Monty and I have been riding the range
Someday real soon we will meet on the plains
Wild Wild Flowers on the grazing plain
Can't you smell the fragrance of approaching rains
He wears colors of a Piegan man
He pulls a travois the best he can
La La La La La...La La la La La
He's gotta a sure hold on the rocky road ahead
This buffalo horse my old friend
He clings to me like I owe him some grub
I'll do anything to give him his feed
He runs through the hills with the wind in his mane
My Pinto my old friend
La la La La la la la La la...la la la
La la La La la la la La la...la la la
La la La La la la la La la...la la la
La la La La la la la La la...la la la La...
Run Run Monty to my blood kin
Cool Cool Memories in the distant winds
Run Run Monty my old friend
We'll make camp just around the bend
La La la La la...La La La La La
He wears colors of a medicine man
La La la La la...La La La La La
He's a Ghost horse my old friend
La La la La la...La La La La..
Monty is that you?